Key information
- Out of Home Care includes:
- Family based care
- foster care
- intensive supported foster care
- kinship care
- therapeutic care
- emergency care
- respite care
- Salaried Care
- therapeutic residential care
- salaried care placements
- Family based care
The out of home care system provides formal care for these children and young people.
The Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1997 provides the framework and mandate for government and non-government services, community members and families to respond to situations, where:
- children may have experienced abuse or neglect, or
- where it is considered they may be at risk of suffering harm within their family.
Where the Child Safety Service assesses that a child or young person is at risk in their home, they will seek a court order for short or longer term care. An out of home care arrangement will be made for their day-to-day care. The Secretary of the Department for Education, Children and Young People then becomes responsible for the care and protection of those children and young people under their custody and guardianship.
Out of Home Care services
Children and young people are at the centre of the out of home care system which provides a range of care and accommodation services.
Regional child safety teams have dedicated child safety officers whose role is to provide support to children and young people and their carers.
For information on what the Child Safety Service does, go to the Guide to Tasmania’s child safety services section of the website. Out of Home Care supports the placement of children into family based care or salaried care.
Family based care
Family based care gives children and young people a place to live in a family home when they are unable to live with their own families. Family based care includes foster care and kinship care.
Family based care provides children with a family who can care for them for as long as needed until they can return to their natural families or until they exit care as young adults. Read more about family based care.
Salaried care
Salaried care includes therapeutic residential care and salaried care.
Therapeutic residential care
Therapeutic residential care is group-based accommodation and support to older children and young people who have high or challenging needs and where foster or kinship care is not available or appropriate. It is provided by CatholicCare Tasmania. Young people in residential care are often supported to learn the skills they need to live independently as they transition to becoming young adults in their own homes.
Salaried care
Salaried care is provided by non-government organisations for children and young people with complex needs that for a short or longer period can make it too challenging for them to live in a family home with foster or kinship carers. Salaried care is in a home setting with care provided by staff on a rostered basis.
Therapeutic interventions are provided to children and young people in care who have experienced trauma. The Australian Childhood Foundation provides this service and also provides training and supports to carers and staff.